17,721 First Dose Vaccinations Administered... 43.6% of Population Vaccinated

Completed Vaccinations Increase by 5,559 to a Total of 9,741,255
Vaccination Rate at 19.0%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The number of people receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine increased by about 17,000 on the 15th, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 43.6% of the entire population.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Promotion Team) on the 16th, the number of new first-dose vaccinations the previous day was 17,721. The number of new first-dose vaccinations decreased sharply on Sunday, August 15, which was Liberation Day, following a drop from 241,514 on the weekday of the 13th to 140,972 on Saturday the 14th. This is due to medical institutions and local vaccination centers entrusted with vaccine administration being closed or operating with reduced hours during the weekend and holiday.

By vaccine type, the number of new first-dose vaccinations was 16,932 for Pfizer, 757 for AstraZeneca (AZ), and 32 for Moderna.

As of midnight on that day, the cumulative number of first-dose vaccinations in South Korea was 22,386,973, accounting for 43.6% of the total population (51,349,116 as of December last year). Looking at the cumulative first-dose vaccinations by vaccine, AstraZeneca accounted for 10,667,087, Pfizer 9,641,503, and Moderna 948,606. The cumulative number of Janssen vaccine recipients was 1,129,777. People who received the Janssen vaccine, which requires only one dose, are included in both the first and second dose counts.

The number of people who completed the second dose increased by 5,559 the previous day. By vaccine, 3,469 were AstraZeneca and 2,090 were Pfizer. Although 4,010 people were counted as having completed AstraZeneca vaccination, 541 of them received the first dose of AstraZeneca and then received the second dose as a cross-vaccination with Pfizer.

Thus, the total number of people who completed both doses increased to 9,741,255, which is about 19.0% of the population. The cumulative number of completed vaccinations by vaccine is 5,220,732 for Pfizer, 3,328,007 for AstraZeneca (including 1,033,899 cross-vaccinations), 62,739 for Moderna, and the rest are Janssen recipients.

Among the AstraZeneca vaccine target group (12,206,25 people), 87.4% have completed the first dose. The rate of completion for the second dose is 27.3%. For Pfizer, 91.1% of the total target group (10,586,468 people) have completed the first dose, and 49.3% have completed the second dose. For Moderna, 52.9% of the total target group (1,792,161 people) have completed the first dose, and the second dose completion rate is 3.5%. For Janssen, all but 45 of the target group (1,129,822 people) have been vaccinated.

Currently, four types of vaccines?AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Janssen, and Moderna?are being used for vaccination in South Korea. AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines require two doses, while Janssen requires only one dose.

The interval between doses varies slightly depending on the vaccine type. AstraZeneca recommends an 8 to 12-week interval, Pfizer a 3-week interval, and Moderna a 4-week interval between the first and second doses. However, the Promotion Team has decided to temporarily extend the interval for mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) to up to 6 weeks, reflecting uncertainties in vaccine supply. Accordingly, for those scheduled for their second mRNA vaccine dose after the 16th, the interval will be extended to 6 weeks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.